LANSING, MI -- One out ofevery 72 Michigan motorists may strike a deer in the next year, according to new projections from State Farm.

The insurance company today released its annual report on deer-vehicle crashes, ranking Michigan as the fourth most likely state for such a confrontation.

West Virginia, with 1 in 40 odds, topped the rankings for the sixth year in a row.

The projections are based on the ratio of licensed drivers to State Farm claims over the past year and do not take into account a disease that has thinned Michigan's deer population in recent months.

AVOID DEER CRASHES

• Keep in mind that deer generally travel in herds – if you see one, there is a strong possibility others are nearby.

• Be aware of posted deer crossing signs. These are placed in active deer crossing areas.

• Remember that deer are most active between 6 and 9 p.m.

• Use high beam headlamps as much as possible at night to illuminate the areas from which deer will enter roadways

• If a deer collision seems inevitable, attempting to swerve out of the way could cause you to lose control of your vehicle or place you in the path of an oncoming vehicle

• Don’t rely on car-mounted deer whistles.

Source: Insurance Information Institute

"I guess it'll be interesting to see what the numbers are next year and whether there's a notable change or not," said Angie Rinock, a regional spokeswoman for the insurance company.

Michigan State Police statistics reveal that the number of reported vehicle-deer crashes actually dipped a bit in 2011, down from 55,867 in 2010 to 53,592, resulting in eight fatalities and 1,464 injuries.

Experts believe that many deer crashes go unreported, and they warn that such run-ins are most common in October and November.

The Michigan Deer Crash Coalition last week released a set of tips for motorists, urging them to be especially vigilant in autumn and to avoid swerving to avoid deer, which generally travel in herds, often in a single-file line.

"It's important to understand that it's safer to come to a controlled stop whenever a deer is in your path than to swerve and go off the road," MDOT director Kirk Steudle said in a release. "Don't veer for deer or swerve to avoid an animal because it can be more dangerous and even deadly."

State Farm shared a similar set of tips from the Insurance Information Institute, pointing out that deer are most active between 6-9 p.m. and reminding motorists to use their high beams when appropriate.

"The goal is just to raise awareness (about deer crashes)," said Rinock. "It can be devastating, it can be fatal and there's some key things you can do to possibly prevent it from happening to you."